Ultra-slim fastener

ABSTRACT

An ultra-slim fastener for a garment includes male and female parts engagable by inclining the male part while inserting a foot into a cavity of the female part, and pivoting the parts to a co-planar orientation. The female has a roof thickness, and the foot may be offset by at least the roof thickness. The male part may include a weld joint including alternating welded regions and non-welded regions. The male and female may include a plurality of protrusions distributed throughout a weld region for welding the parts to a garment piece. Features of the fastener improve tensile strength, increase flexibility, and improve comfort.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/213,710, filed Mar. 26, 2021, which is hereby incorporatedin its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an ultra-slim fastener and methods ofmanufacturing same. In particular, the invention relates to anultra-slim fastener for use in the manufacture of an article of clothingsuch as a brassiere.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many disparate types of fasteners used in the manufacture ofarticles of clothing. The type of fastener chosen for a givenapplication will depend in part on the intended application, as oftendifferent design considerations apply to different applications. Forexample, fasteners for a brassiere (hereinafter referred to simply as a“bra”) will preferably be low profile fasteners, will ideally berelatively simple for the wearer to open and close, and yet will besufficiently secure so that they are not prone to inadvertent openingduring normal movement of the wearer. These are all importantconsiderations when designing a fastener for a bra.

By having a low profile, the fastener will protrude less through thewearer's clothing and will provide a more aesthetically pleasingoffering. Furthermore, by having a low profile the fasteners will haveless tendency to catch on other items of clothing. It is important thatbra fasteners in particular are simple for the wearer to open and close.Often, the closures will be behind the wearer's back and a fastener thatis relatively simple to open and close will facilitate dressing andundressing. This is particularly important if the wearer has arthritisor another condition that may affect their manual dexterity.

There is a need in the art for a fastener that overcomes at least someof the aforementioned problems. It is further desirable that such afastener offers a useful and aesthetically pleasing alternative choiceto the consumer.

Thermoplastic fasteners for garments are commonly joined to fabrics orother components by welding methods including ultrasonic welding, highfrequency welding, induction welding, and others. Welding techniquesused for synthetic fabrics cause localized melting of the fabric fibersin the area of the weld, which breaks down a woven or knitted fabricstructure. The use of too much energy when welding may cause excessivemelting of plastic parts which may be unsightly, rough to the touch, andmay even weaken the part. There is therefore a need in the art forimproved methods of welding thermoplastic components to fibers tomaintain structural integrity, comfort, and appearance in the weldedregions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An ultra-slim fastener as described herein is suitable for bras,swimwear, sportswear, and other garments where a slim yet strongfastener is desired. The fastener may be, for example, a brassiere frontfastener located in between the cups where a thin profile is desired forcomfort, yet high strength is also required to prevent inadvertentdisengagement of the fastener.

In an embodiment, an ultra-slim fastener for securing a first piece anda second piece of a garment together includes:

-   -   a male part configured to be mounted on the first piece and a        female part configured to be mounted on the second piece;    -   the male part including a substantially planar body having an        outermost body end, a downwardly depending leg disposed at the        outermost body end and terminating in an outwardly projecting        foot extending substantially parallel to the plane of the body,        the foot having a heel portion oriented away from the outermost        body end, and the body being sandwiched between an upper        component and a lower component;    -   the female part including a substantially planar frame having a        top, an outermost frame end, an innermost frame end, and        defining a cavity for reception and retention of the foot, the        cavity being partially roofed in towards the innermost frame end        and having a roof and a bottom, thereby defining an open mouth        towards the outermost frame end;    -   the foot, the cavity, and the open mouth being dimensioned so        that insertion of the foot into the cavity must be realized by        inclining the body of the male part relative to the frame of the        female part before bringing the male part and the female part        together, retention of the foot in the cavity is realized by        pivoting the inserted male part from an inclined orientation to        a co-planar orientation with respect to the female part using        the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum, and release of the foot        from the cavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part        from the co-planar orientation back to the inclined orientation        using the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum before moving the male        part and the female part apart;    -   a fabric strip and an overlay, the overlay having an aperture,        the frame of the female part sandwiched between the fabric strip        and the overlay such that the aperture corresponds with the open        mouth, the fabric strip forms a backing for the frame, and the        bottom of the cavity is closed off by the fabric strip;    -   the body of the male part and the frame of the female part each        having a weld region including a plurality of protrusions        distributed throughout the weld region in a protrusion pattern;        and    -   the upper component of the male part being welded to the lower        component of the male part along a weld joint adjacent the body,        such that the weld joint has a weld pattern including        alternating welded regions and non-welded regions.

Such a fastener can be made ultra-slim, less than 5 mm in thickness fromfront to rear, while maintaining structural integrity and the ability toresist inadvertent opening under an applied load. By mounting the femalepart's frame directly onto the face of the fabric strip so that thefabric strip forms a backing for the frame and providing an overlay ontop of the frame in the manner described, the frame will havesignificantly greater structural integrity and resistance to bendingunder tensile strain. This allows for a thinner fastener to be used.Embodiments of the fastener will have a tensile strength rating of 30-40lbs or more, which far exceeds the amount for fasteners of this type andwill not be inclined to open inadvertently. The protrusions permit astrong weld and allow flexibility of the weld region while maintainingstructural integrity of the welded parts.

In another embodiment of the ultra-slim fastener, the weld patternextends along a top edge and a bottom edge of the male part,substantially parallel to the body. In another embodiment, the weldpattern extends outwardly substantially parallel to at least a portionof the outermost body end. These configurations provide a soft weldededge adjacent the plastic body of the male part.

In another embodiment of the ultra-slim fastener, the lower componentincludes an open section located inwardly of and substantiallysurrounding the heel portion. This feature improves flexibility of themale part.

In another embodiment of the ultra-slim fastener, an air cushion islocated between the weld joint and the outermost body end of the malepart. The air cushion provides increased flexibility in the area of theweld joints.

In another embodiment of the ultra-slim fastener, the weld patternincludes between 40% to 60% welded regions. In a particular embodiment,the weld pattern includes about 50% welded regions. In some embodiments,the weld joint has a thickness and the welded regions each have a depthof not more than 50% of the thickness of the weld joint.

In another embodiment of the ultra-slim fastener, the weld pattern hasan interstitial spacing of between 1 mm and 5 mm separating each of thewelded regions. In some embodiments, the welded regions aresubstantially circular, and each welded region has a diameter of betweenabout 0.2 mm and about 6 mm.

In another embodiment of the ultra-slim fastener, a top edge and abottom edge of the male part are tapered inwardly such that an innerheight of the male part is larger than an outer height of the male part.This feature may allow the male part to be smaller than the female partwhile also being easy to grasp and engage with the female part.

In another embodiment of the ultra-slim fastener, the weld patternextends substantially parallel to at least a portion of the outermostbody end, and the weld pattern is sandwiched between the upper componentand the lower component.

In another embodiment of the fastener, the body of the male part and theframe of the female part each having a weld region including a pluralityof protrusions distributed throughout the weld region in a pattern. Insome embodiments, the protrusions have a height of between 0.3 mm and2.0 mm. In some embodiments, the protrusions have a conical shape, acylindrical shape, or a cuboid shape. In some embodiments, the patternhas an interstitial spacing of between 1 mm and 5 mm separating theprotrusions. In some embodiments, the plurality of protrusions coversbetween 40% to 60% of each weld region.

Other embodiments, in addition to the embodiments enumerated above, willbecome apparent from the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the fastener and method of manufacturingsame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the ultra-slim fastenerare described with reference to the following figures, wherein likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various viewsunless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a female part of a fastener.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the female part of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an inner end view of the female part of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is another rear view of the female part.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the female part of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the female part ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of a male part of a fastener.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the male part of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an inner end view of the male part of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the male part ofFIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is another rear view of the male part.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the male part of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the male part ofFIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the male partbeing brought into engagement with the female part.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the fastener in anengaged position.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged detail view of area XVI of FIG. 12.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a weld joint along line XVII-XVII of FIG.11.

FIG. 18 is a front view of another embodiment of the male part.

FIG. 19 is a rear view of the male part of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line XX-XX of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a rear view of another embodiment of the male part.

FIG. 22 is a front view of the male part of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is an inner end view of the male part of FIG. 21.

FIG. 24 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the male part ofFIG. 21.

FIG. 25 is a front view of another embodiment of the female part, therear view being identical to FIG. 1.

FIG. 26 is an inner end view of the female part of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the female part ofFIG. 25.

FIGS. 28A-28C are enlarged views of embodiments of area XXVIII of FIG.27.

FIG. 29 is a rear view of another embodiment of the male part.

FIG. 30 is a front view of the male part of FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is an inner end view of the male part of FIG. 29.

FIG. 32 is another rear view of the male part.

FIG. 33 is a front view of the male part of FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of another embodimentof the female part.

FIG. 35 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of another embodimentof the male part.

FIG. 36 is an enlarged detail view of area XXXVI of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of another embodimentof the female part.

FIG. 38 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of another embodimentof the male part.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendrawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements inthe figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to helpimprove understanding of various embodiments. Also, common butwell-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commerciallyfeasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a lessobstructed view of these various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown an embodiment of a female part ofa fastener, indicated generally by the reference numeral 100, having asubstantially planar frame 101. Frame 101 includes a cavity 119configured for reception and retention of a foot of a male part,discussed in detail below. Cavity 119 is partially roofed in by a roof121 located near the innermost frame end 113. An open mouth 107, locatednear an outermost frame end 114, permits access to cavity 119.

As used herein, the term “inner” refers to the direction of a garmentpiece to which either of the male or female parts is to be connected,while “outer” refers to the direction away from the garment; “front”refers to the direction generally facing away from the body of thewearer and “rear” refers to the direction toward the body of the wearer,regardless of the location of the fastener on a garment; “top” refers tothe direction of the wearer's head and “bottom” refers to the directionof the wearer's feet. The term “about” or “approximately” refers to arange of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. Asused herein, the term “substantially” when referring to a shape or anorientation means that an ordinary observer will perceive that an objecthas said shape or orientation even if there are minor variations fromsaid shape or orientation.

FIGS. 4 & 5 show female part 100 having four frames 101 sandwichedbetween a fabric strip 103 and an overlay 105. The outlines of frames101 are shown in dashed lines.

Overlay 105 is mounted onto the top of each frame 101 and onto the faceof fabric strip 103, thereby sandwiching frames 101 between overlay 105and fabric strip 103. Overlay 105 includes an aperture 109 correspondingwith each open mouth 107 of frames 101. Fabric strip 103 forms a backingfor frames 101, and the bottom of cavity 119 is closed off by the fabricstrip (see also FIG. 6).

A plurality of weld joints 111 a, 111 b, 111 c illustrate areas where atleast two of the frame, the overlay, and the fabric strip have beenjoined together. In the shown embodiment, overlay 105 may be welded toframe 101 along weld joints 111 a. Overlay 105 may be welded to fabricstrip 103 along weld joints 111 b or 111 c. Weld joints 111 b may be cutin a welded region as further discussed herein. Weld joints 111 c, shownspaced apart from innermost frame end 113 of the female part, mayprovide strain relief in areas of the fabric which may be manipulatedwhen engaging or disengaging the fastener.

Referring to FIGS. 7-10, there is shown an embodiment of a male part ofthe fastener, indicated generally by the reference numeral 200. The malepart comprises a substantially planar body 201 having at its outermostbody end 203 a downwardly depending leg 221 terminating in an outwardlyprojecting foot 205. The outwardly projecting foot may extendsubstantially parallel to the plane of body 201 (see FIG. 13). Foot 205has a heel portion 223 oriented away from outermost body end 203 and atoe portion 225 oriented toward the outermost body end.

FIGS. 11 & 12 show body 201 of the male part sandwiched between an uppercomponent 213 and a lower component 217, and connected thereto alongweld joints 209 a. The outline of body 201 is shown in dashed lines.Upper component 213 and lower component 217 may be welded together alongweld joints 209 b. Upper component 213 and lower component 217 mayextend outwardly from body 201, thereby forming a flap that may be usedfor connection of the male part to a first piece of a garment 211, shownin dot-dash lines.

FIG. 13 shows an enlarged, side cross-sectional view of male part 200 ofthe fastener. Outwardly projecting foot 205 extends substantiallyparallel to the plane of body 201. Heel portion 223 is inclined awayfrom outermost body end 203 from front to rear. In other words, thefront of heel portion 223 is nearer to outermost body end 203 than isthe rear of heel portion 223. The angle of inclination of the heel isindicated as θ. In embodiments, heel portion 223 is inclined away fromthe outermost body end at an angle, θ, of between about 6 degrees andabout 12 degrees. In addition, an upwardly extending male flange 227protrudes from the front surface of body 201 adjacent outermost body end203.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an enlarged, sidecross-sectional view of female part 100 of the fastener. As outlinedabove in relation to FIGS. 1-5, female part 100 has a substantiallyplanar frame 101 sandwiched between overlay 105 and fabric strip 103. Inthe embodiment shown, there are four of frame 101 mounted in alongitudinally spaced row. This arrangement is not intended to belimiting, and more or fewer frames may be provided depending on thedegree of adjustability desired. Frame 101 includes an upwardlyextending female flange 129 adjacent open mouth 107. Upwardly extendingfemale flange 129 acts as a backstop for the male part when male part200 is being joined together with female part 100. In some embodiments,a circumferential upstanding collar 123 is provided which surrounds openmouth 107 and protrudes forwardly therefrom. This collar protects theedge of the aperture in fabric overlay 105. Cavity 119 has a side wall131, oriented toward outer end 127 of the female part. Side wall 131 maybe angled from front to rear towards outer end 127. This anglefacilitates engagement of the male and female parts once the male andfemale parts come under tension, and resists disengagement of thefastener.

Overlay 105 is shown connected to frame 101 along weld joints 111 a.Overlay 105 and fabric strip 103 may be connected together along weldjoints 111 b or 111 c. The overlay and the fabric strip may extendoutward from frame 101, and a second piece of a garment 117, shown indot-dash lines, may be sandwiched between overlay 105 and fabric strip103. Alternatively, overlay 105 and fabric strip 103 may be joinedtogether to form a flap that may be used for connection of garment piece117.

FIG. 14 shows a fastener, indicated generally by the reference numeral400. Male part 200 is positioned for insertion into a frame 101 offemale part 100 (two frames 101 are present in the shown embodiment).Male part 200 is inclined at an angle to the horizontal so that it canbe inserted into cavity 119 through open mouth 107 of the cavity. Toeportion 225 is inserted first into the open mouth along the directionalarrow, and when a bridge 229 of the foot engages with roof 121 of thecavity, the foot will be pivoted in a counter-clockwise direction usingroof 121 as a fulcrum. Heel portion 223 will abut against collar 123 andthe collar or the heel will be sufficiently resiliently deformable toallow the heel to snap in place beyond the collar so that the foot islying substantially horizontal in the cavity (see FIG. 15). In otherwords, the male and female parts will be substantially in line with eachother rather than either being in an inclined position. Once engaged,the fastener will resist inadvertent release, as the foot will beengaged in the cavity and the foot (and in particular heel portion 223and bridge 229) together with cavity side wall 131, collar 123, and roof121 will act to hold the foot in the cavity and male part 200 and femalepart 100 together. Furthermore, fabric strip 103 will also act toprevent inadvertent dislodgement of the male part from the female partas it will act against a pivoting motion of the male part from aparallel configuration to an inclined configuration. Fabric strip 103will also act to press bridge 229 of the male part against roof 121which helps to maintain the parts together. Release of the foot from thecavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part from the co-planarorientation back to the inclined orientation using the roof of thecavity as a fulcrum before moving the male part and the female partapart, essentially reversing the operations performed when engaging thefastener.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the fastener in anengaged position. Frame 101 of female part 100 has a roof thickness, t1,extending from a top 133 of frame 101 to roof 121 of the cavity. Anupper surface 235 of the foot is offset rearwardly relative to a rearsurface 237 of the body of male part 200 by a distance, t2. This offsetdistance t2 may be at least as large as roof thickness t1. In exampleembodiments, t1 may be between about 0.4 mm and about 1.0 mm. Referringagain to FIGS. 11 & 12, upper component 213 of male part 200 may bewelded to lower component 217 of male part 200 along a weld jointadjacent body 201 of the male part (e.g., weld joint 209 b). This weldjoint may have a weld pattern including alternating welded regions andnon-welded regions. In other words, the upper component and the lowercomponent may be joined in some regions of the weld joint and not joinedin other regions of the weld joint. The weld pattern may extend along atop edge 240 and a bottom edge 242 of male part 200. These weld jointsmay be substantially parallel to the body 201 of the male part (shownhidden in dashed line).

FIG. 16 is an enlarged detail view of area XVI of FIG. 12, showing aweld pattern 500. Welded regions 512, shown shaded, may be distributedsubstantially evenly throughout non-welded regions 514, shown in white.Welded regions 512 may be substantially circular, as shown, or may haveanother shape such as, for example, a diamond shape, an octagonal shape,a lattice pattern, and others. In one example, welded regions 512 aresubstantially circular and each welded region has a diameter, d1, ofbetween about 0.2 mm and about 6 mm. Weld pattern 500 may includebetween 40% to 60% welded regions 512. In one embodiment, weld pattern500 includes about 50% welded regions 512. In embodiments, the weldpattern has an interstitial spacing ‘S1’ separating each of theplurality of welded regions 512 (in other words, separating one of theplurality of welded regions from a nearest neighbor among the pluralityof welded regions). Spacing S1 may be between about 1 mm and about 5 mm.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a weld joint 209 b along line XVII-XVIIof FIG. 11, showing bottom edge 242 of the male part, although thefollowing description may apply, mutatis mutandis, to any edge includingembodiments of a weld joint with a weld pattern as described herein.Edge 242 may be formed by cutting within a weld joint having a weldpattern. This method is beneficial as it provides a soft edgecontributed by non-welded regions, yet is strong and resists fraying dueto the welded regions. Depressions 610 are formed in lower component 217and upper component 213, e.g. where contact was made with a weld surfaceof a welding tool. While depressions 610 of the lower and uppercomponent are shown aligned in this example, that need not be the case;welded regions may be distributed within non-welded regions in anypattern. A welded region 620 is shown (cross-hatched) between non-weldedregions 630. The weld joint has a thickness, t3, measured from theexternal faces of lower component 217 and upper component 213. Weldedregions 620 each have a depth, d2, less than thickness t3. In oneembodiment, the depth of the welded regions is not more than 50% of thethickness of the weld joint.

A method of forming a weld joint having a weld pattern includingalternating welded regions and non-welded regions may include weldingtwo components together using a welding tool (e.g., a horn or an anvil)that has a patterned surface structure comprising a patterned weldsurface offset from and distributed throughout a non-weld surface.Welded regions may be formed where the one or both of the componentsbeing welded contact the patterned weld surface of the welding tool, andnon-welded regions may be formed where the components being welded arealigned to the non-weld surface, thereby forming alternating weldedregions and non-welded regions. FIGS. 18 and 19 are front and rearviews, respectively, of another embodiment of male part 200. FIG. 20 isan enlarged cross-sectional view along line XX-XX of FIG. 19. The shownmale part 200 includes one or more weld joints 209 b that extendoutwardly and are substantially parallel to at least a portion ofoutermost body end 203 of body 201 (shown hidden in dashed lines. Weldjoints 209 b have a weld pattern including alternating welded regionsand non-welded regions, as previously described. Weld joints 209 b asshown also extend along top edge 240 and bottom edge 242 of male part200, substantially parallel to body 201. Such an embodiment provides asoft edge which completely surrounds the regions of the body that do notengage the female part. In some versions, weld joints 209 b may extendalong outermost body end 203 and not along the top edge or the bottomedge. As seen in FIG. 20, some versions of male part 200 may include anair cushion 260 located between weld joint 209 b and outermost body end203. Air cushion 260 may be formed by offsetting weld joint 209 b fromoutermost body end 203, and sealing air in the gap therebetween. Aircushion 260 provides increased flexibility around the welded edges,which reduces pressure on the wearer where edges may contact the skin,thereby improving comfort of the male part.

In some embodiments, lower component 217 may include an open section 250located inwardly of and substantially surrounding heel portion 223. Thisfeature provides increased flexibility of the male part for engagementor disengagement with female part.

The fastener is preferably made out of plastic material, such aspolyamide. Fabric components may be made of polyamide microfiber,elastane fabric, silk, polyester, bamboo, cellulose acetate, orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, both the fabric portion andthe solid plastic portion of the fastener are made of polyamide. Ifdesired, an additional layer of padding material could be provided forcomfort. Although this will increase the depth of the fastener, forexample the padding layer may be of the order of 0.5-1.0 mm thickleading to a fastener that could be of the order of 5 mm thick or more,the padding may provide a more comfortable fastener for the wearerthereby improving the desirability of the fastener. An “ultra-slim”fastener will be understood to be a fastener having a thickness of theorder of 5 mm or less.

In order to manufacture a fastener according to the invention, themethod comprises the steps of cutting out an aperture in an overlaysheet before bonding the overlay sheet to a fabric strip along at leastone edge of both the overlay sheet and the fabric strip. The frame ofthe female part is placed on the overlay sheet with the open mouth ofthe frame in alignment with the aperture in the overlay sheet. The frameof the female part is bonded to the overlay sheet. The overlay sheet isadditionally bonded to the fabric strip along any remaining un-bondededges. It is envisaged that in one implementation, the initial step ofbonding the overlay sheet to the fabric strip along at least one edge ofboth the overlay sheet and the fabric strip will entail bonding theoverlay sheet to the fabric strip along three edges of the overlay sheetand the fabric strip thereby forming a pouch. The male part isconstructed by bonding the fabric to the substantially planar body. Inall cases, ultrasonic welding is seen as a useful choice for bonding thecomponents together.

Additional embodiments of the male and female parts are shown in FIGS.21-27. In these embodiments, the body of the male part has weld regions251 for welding body 201 to a piece of fabric (see weld joints 209 a ofFIGS. 10 & 11). Similarly, the frame of the female part has weld regions151 for welding frame 101 to a piece of fabric (see weld joints 111 a ofFIGS. 5 & 6). Each of weld regions 151, 251 includes a plurality ofprotrusions 155 which are distributed substantially evenly throughoutthe weld regions. These protrusions improve the weld connection betweenthe fabric and the plastic base or frame. The protrusions may permitwelding at a lower temperature or for a shorter time, reducing the riskof over-welding which can cause excessive melting of plastic parts ormay breakdown the structure of a woven fabric.

FIGS. 28A-28C are enlarged views of embodiments of detail area XXVIII ofFIG. 27. The features of the embodiments shown may also apply, mutatismutandis, to the weld regions of the male part. Protrusions 155 areraised relative to frame 101 by a height ‘H’. Protrusions 155 may have aheight of between about 0.3 mm and about 2.0 mm. In the shownembodiments, protrusions 155 have a height of about 0.5 mm. In otherembodiments, the height of the protrusions is at least 50% of thethickness of the fabric to be welded. In other embodiments, the heightof the protrusions is between 30-70% of the thickness of the fabric tobe welded. When welded, the protrusions are fused with the fabric andhave a substantially flat, smooth finished appearance.

In embodiments, protrusions 155 are spaced in a regular patternthroughout the weld regions. As shown on male part 200, the protrusionsmay form a zig-zag pattern. As shown on female part 100, the protrusionsmay form a lattice-like pattern. Within each weld region, protrusionsmay cover between 40% to 60% of the surface area (e.g. as measured atthe body or frame). The ratio within the weld region of surface areacovered by protrusions to the total area of the patterned surface may bevaried according to the type of material being joined and the desiredflexibility of the resultant weld. In another embodiment, protrusionscover about 50% of the weld region. Protrusions may have a majordimension, ‘D’, at the base of about 0.5 mm.

In embodiments, the pattern has an interstitial spacing S2′ (see FIG.25) separating each of the plurality of protrusions (in other words,separating one of the plurality of protrusions from a nearest neighboramong the plurality of protrusions). Spacing S2 may be between about 1mm and about 5 mm. In another embodiment, spacing S2 may be betweenabout 1 mm and about 3 mm. A larger interstitial spacing may bepreferred for welding to a thicker fabric.

The embodiments of FIGS. 28A-28C illustrate several exemplary shapes ofprotrusions 155. Protrusions of FIG. 28A have a cylindrical shape with arounded top at raised surface 157. Protrusions of FIG. 28B have agenerally cuboid shape, a substantially flat raised surface 157 with arounded edge 159, and sidewalls 161 which have a slight downward taper.Protrusions of FIG. 28C have a conical shape which tapers downward awayfrom raised surface 157 toward frame 101 at an angle of between 20° and60°. Raised surface 157 is substantially flat. In other embodiments, theprotrusions may be more rounded than as shown, may be tapered at anangle more or less than is shown, may have straight sidewalls 161, mayhave angled edges 159 on the raised surface, or may have various shapesat the base such as circular, square, or polygonal.

FIGS. 29-31 are rear, front, and inner end views, respectively, ofanother embodiment of the male part. FIGS. 32-33 is additional rear andfront views, respectively, of the male part showing upper and lowercomponents. Top edge 240 and bottom edge 242 of male part 200 aretapered inwardly such that an inner height H1 of the male part is largerthan an outer height H2 of the male part. In addition, as seen in FIG.33, inner height H1 of male part 200 is smaller than a height H3 offemale part 100 (shown in dashed lines). The smaller size of the malepart further improves comfort for the wearer.

Body 201 of male part 200 may include at least two longitudinal channels233, one channel positioned on either side of foot 205 (see also FIGS.8-9). The shown embodiments includes two channels 233, one channellocated on each side of the foot. Another example embodiment may includefour channels. Channels 233 have a reduced thickness relative to otherregions of body 201. The relatively thin structure in the regions ofchannels 233 provides a flexible region which bends resiliently understress, thereby further facilitating the engagement and disengagement ofthe fastener. In addition, the flexibility of the male providesadditional comfort to the wearer, especially when moving around.

FIGS. 34 & 35 are enlarged side cross-sectional views of embodiments ofthe female part 100 and the male part 200, respectively. FIG. 36 is anenlarged detail view of area XXXVI of FIG. 35. Weld joint 209 b,including a weld pattern, extends substantially parallel to outermostbody end 203. Weld joint 209 b is sandwiched between upper component 213and lower component 217. This arrangement can be achieved by weldingweld joint 209 b, then turning the joined upper component and lowercomponent inside out to form a pocket, inserting male body 201 into thepocket, and additionally welding joints 209 a to join body 201 to theupper or lower component. Similarly, weld joint 111 b of the female partextends substantially parallel to outermost frame end 114. Weld joint111 b may be sandwiched between fabric strip 103 and overlay 105. Eitherthe male part or the female part may also include air cushion 260located inward of the weld joint.

One or more of upper component 213 and lower component 217 may extendoutwardly from body 201, thereby forming a flap that may be used forconnection of the male part to a first piece of a garment 211 (see alsoFIG. 13). First piece 211 may be sandwiched between upper component 213and lower component 217.

FIGS. 37 & 38 are enlarged side cross-sectional views of embodiments ofthe female part and the male part, respectively. In these embodiments,weld joints 111 b and 209 b are sandwiched between fabric components asdescribed above. An air cushion may also be present in theseembodiments. This version of the male and female parts does not includeflaps. The ends of the male or female parts may be joined directly to agarment. Further provided are other embodiments of fastener partsincluding weld regions having protrusions substantially as describedabove. Further provided are other embodiments of fastener partsincluding welded joints having weld patterns substantially as describedabove.

It is further envisaged that the fastener could be used for shoulderstraps or other areas of a garment, and is not limited to a back orfront fastener for a brassiere, for example. Further provided is agarment including a fastener as shown or described herein.

The embodiments of the fastener described herein and garmentsincorporating same are exemplary and numerous modifications,combinations, variations, and rearrangements can be readily envisionedto achieve an equivalent result, all of which are intended to beembraced within the scope of the appended claims. Further, nothing inthe above-provided discussions of the fastener and construction methodshould be construed as limiting the invention to a particular embodimentor combination of embodiments. The scope of the invention is defined bythe appended claims.

We claim:
 1. An ultra-slim fastener for securing a first piece and asecond piece of a garment together, the fastener comprising: a male partconfigured to be mounted on the first piece and a female part configuredto be mounted on the second piece; the male part comprising asubstantially planar body having an outermost body end, a downwardlydepending leg disposed at the outermost body end and terminating in anoutwardly projecting foot extending substantially parallel to a plane ofthe body, the foot having a heel portion oriented away from theoutermost body end, and the body being sandwiched between an uppercomponent and a lower component; the female part comprising asubstantially planar frame having a top, an outermost frame end, aninnermost frame end, and defining a cavity for reception and retentionof the foot, the cavity being partially roofed in towards the innermostframe end and having a roof and a bottom, thereby defining an open mouthtowards the outermost frame end; the foot, the cavity, and the openmouth being dimensioned so that insertion of the foot into the cavitymust be realized by inclining the body of the male part relative to theframe of the female part before bringing the male part and the femalepart together, retention of the foot in the cavity is realized bypivoting the inserted male part from an inclined orientation to aco-planar orientation with respect to the female part using the roof ofthe cavity as a fulcrum, and release of the foot from the cavity isrealized by pivoting the inserted male part from the co-planarorientation back to the inclined orientation using the roof of thecavity as a fulcrum before moving the male part and the female partapart; a fabric strip and an overlay, the overlay having an aperture,the frame of the female part sandwiched between the fabric strip and theoverlay such that the aperture corresponds with the open mouth, thefabric strip forms a backing for the frame, and the bottom of the cavityis closed off by the fabric strip; the body of the male part and theframe of the female part each having a weld region including a pluralityof protrusions distributed throughout the weld region in a protrusionpattern; and the upper component of the male part being welded to thelower component of the male part along a weld joint adjacent the body,such that the weld joint has a weld pattern including alternating weldedregions and non-welded regions.
 2. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1,wherein the weld pattern extends along a top edge and a bottom edge ofthe male part, substantially parallel to the body.
 3. The ultra-slimfastener of claim 1, wherein the weld pattern extends outwardlysubstantially parallel to at least a portion of the outermost body end.4. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1, wherein the lower componentincludes an open section located inwardly of and substantiallysurrounding the heel portion.
 5. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1,further including: an air cushion located between the weld joint and theoutermost body end.
 6. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1, wherein theweld pattern includes between 40% to 60% welded regions.
 7. Theultra-slim fastener of claim 1 wherein the weld pattern includes about50% welded regions.
 8. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1, wherein theweld pattern has an interstitial spacing of between 1 mm and 5 mmseparating each of the welded regions.
 9. The ultra slim fastener ofclaim 1, wherein the weld joint has a thickness and the welded regionseach have a depth of not more than 50% of the thickness of the weldjoint.
 10. The ultra slim fastener of claim 1, wherein the weldedregions are substantially circular, and each welded region has adiameter of between about 0.2 mm and about 6 mm.
 11. The ultra-slimfastener of claim 1, wherein a top edge and a bottom edge of the malepart are tapered inwardly such that an inner height of the male part islarger than an outer height of the male part.
 12. The ultra-slimfastener of claim 1, wherein the weld pattern extends substantiallyparallel to at least a portion of the outermost body end, and the weldpattern is sandwiched between the upper component and the lowercomponent.
 13. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1, wherein each of theplurality of protrusions has a height of between 0.3 mm and 2.0 mm. 14.The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality ofprotrusions has one of a conical shape, a cylindrical shape, or a cuboidshape.
 15. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1, wherein the pattern hasan interstitial spacing of between 1 mm and 5 mm separating each of theplurality of protrusions.
 16. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1,wherein the plurality of protrusions covers between 40% to 60% of eachweld region.
 17. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1, wherein the body ofthe male part includes two longitudinal channels positioned on opposingsides of the foot.
 18. A garment having an ultra-slim fastener accordingto claim 1.